search.noResults

search.searching

note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS


Addressing the Stigma of Technology in Construction


By Nathan Wood


managers and mentors advised me that “BIM is career limiting decision.” How silly I was in 2010 to feel ashamed of my talents when now BIM and virtual design and construction (VDC) managers across the United States are making six-figure salaries and advancing their careers exponentially over their peers. I believe the stigma of technology


I


in construction is impacting our ability to address the basic organiza- tional and communication challenges in construction. McKinsey & Co. has produced several reports on the historical root causes and future opportunities for the digital revolution to address our other stigma with construction productivity.


can remember in my time as a building information modeling (BIM) project engineer, some of my


the youth group at my church. It wasn’t uncommon for a friend from one group to poke fun at me for the activities I enjoyed in another group that they found to be “stupid.” For as long as I can remember,


the association of technology itself has been positive, but its association with people has not. One nickname I picked up in the eighth grade was “techy,” after it was discovered that I could “hack” new music from the internet by downloading MP3s using an early version of Napster on my parents Gateway2000 computer. Once I figured out how to convert the music to .WAV files in Winamp and burn them to a CD-R, I would sell them to friends at school for ten bucks. After the time I’d invested searching for obscure rap songs, watching the download bar creep over my 56K modem every night, it probably wasn’t worth the $8.50 profit per CD.


from managers and peers. Whether due to career path pressure or exploi- tation to the point of burnout, this kind of disrespect for technologists is only feeding the demand for outsourced technology services.


The Innovation ‘Tipping Point’ Tipping points develop when


a technology’s value has reached a new “plateau of productivity.” One example of this is the rise of smart- phone adoption over the last decade. You would be hard-pressed to find a project manager or superintendent with a Blackberry in 2007 when all they needed was a Nextel push-to- talk. Nextel phones were eventually disrupted, but not until app-based smartphones like the iPhone became the norm because the combined value, price, and ease of use finally surpassed the limited (but reliable) capabilities of push-to-talk. Deloitte University Press accurately


depicts the pressure felt across many traditional industries like retail, hospitality, and transportation. Te only difference in construction is that our productivity line should be flat, which causes even greater pressure. If it took less than a decade for the iPhone to disrupt push-to-talk cell phones, how long will it take for the digital contractor to disrupt the need for a traditional general contractor?


The Impact of Culture on Innovation


Stereotypes help us to quickly


label individuals without needing to bother with asking a lot of questions. I was stereotyped quite a bit growing up because I involved myself in a wide array of extra-curricular activities including varsity football, jazz band, or


12 September/October 2017


However, the look of amazement and appreciation from each friend when I handed them their first custom playlist CD was priceless. Te digital age requires contractors


to cherish their tech savvy talent, not ostracize them. Tech-savvy project managers and superintendents have been known to hide their tech skillsets


When Will Construction “Tip?” When it comes to construction


technology, I still get the sense that many firms are waiting for the technology to be “ready.” In construction, technology is no longer the barrier to capturing a positive return on investment. Mobile collabo- ration technology has passed the individual tipping point, but many


California Constructor

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24